Jason Aldean Speaks Out in First Interview Since Las Vegas Shooting

In his first interview since the Las Vegas shooting, Jason Aldean opened up about being on stage and how he initially didn’t realize that a gunman was opening fire on the audience during his performance at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on October 1.

“We wear in-ear monitors when we’re on stage. And really all you can hear is the music and, you know, maybe your guys that can talk to you on microphones that are on side-stage or whatever,” the country singer, 40, explained to Sheinelle Jones in a sneak peak of his appearance on the Today show.

Jason Aldean performs during the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

“So when it first happened, I thought a speaker had blown,” he recalled. “It just sounded like a crackling something. And so, I’m kind of looking around like, ‘What is that?’ [and] trying to figure out what it is. And then it stopped, so I was like, they must have got it fixed, so I kept doing my thing.”

Soon after, the noise kicked in again. “It lasted longer the second time,” Aldean recounted. “I was actually getting kind of aggravated, so I looked over at the monitor guy on the side of the stage, and I was like, ‘What is that? And fix it.’ And when I turned and looked, my guitar player had run behind me and was telling me to move, like, ‘Let’s go.’ And my security guy was running on stage, telling me to run.”

During his concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Sunday, November 12, the “Dirt Road Anthem” crooner also reflected upon the harrowing night that left 58 people dead and 546 others injured. “I know I don’t have to tell you guys this, but it’s been a rough couple of months for us up here and it’s a lot of fun to get back out and play for the people that matter, which is you guys,” he told the audience. “I spent a lot of time and a long time trying to make it in this business and doing something that I really enjoy. I’ll be damned if anybody is ever going to stop me from doing that.”